Danish soccer star fined $126,000 for showing off his Paddy Power boxers

Danish soccer player Nicklas Bendtner and his luck Paddy Power boxers
Photo by: Paddy Power

Danish soccer player Nicklas Bendtner has received a one match ban along with a $126,000 fine for flashing the waistband of his underpants, sponsored by Irish bookmakers Paddy Powers.

Europe’s soccer governing body, UEFA, confirmed their decision that Bendtner had been involved in “improper conduct (Law 4 of the Laws of the Game)" during the Group B game against Portugal, in Lviv, Ukraine, which Denmark lost 3-2.

A statement released by UEFA on their site reads, “This suspension applies to the next 2014 FIFA World Cup match, including the qualifying competition, for which Bendtner is eligible.”

In a statement on the Dublin-based bookmaker’s site they said, “We are appalled with the severity of Nicklas Bendtner's fine for displaying Paddy Power on the waistband of his lucky underpants recently."

They continued, "This is a hysterical and deeply cynical move by UEFA dictated by pure commercialism and is a far greater penalty than recent UEFA fines for far more serious incidents. We will be contacting Mr Bendtner to offer him our full support for his appeal."

On the site’s blog, Paddy Power said, “We here on the Paddy Power Blog are not saying that Nicklas Bendtner scored twice because he was wearing his Paddy Power Lucky Pants but we’re definitely taking credit for the second one.”